December 15, 2013

Jerry Jones says he has already given Garrett a vote of confidence and won't do it every week, so don't ask for it

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones refused to give coach Jason Garrett a vote of confidence after Sunday’s loss, saying he has already given him a vote of confidence and will not do it every week.

“Let me be real clear. My refusal to comment one way or the other is not in any way a change from anything that I’ve said earlier about Jason’s future as our coach,” Jones said. “Let me be real clear, and that’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Jones said three weeks ago that Garrett will be the Cowboys’ coach in 2014.

He was asked Sunday if that would change if the Cowboys failed to make the playoffs.

“You’ve got a game. We’re talking about this ballgame right here today,” Jones said. “Every time in sport when a coach loses a ballgame, you’ve got to have a vote of confidence, so we’re not getting involved in that. The coach is as sick as I am about how bad we played in the second half.”

Asked if his long-term commitment to Garrett had wavered, Jones said, “Let me just say this: I’m clear, and I don’t choose to talk about that or talk about several things about the franchise right now. This is not appropriate to talk about it right now. We’ve just had a loss. Are you going to be back? Are you going to be back? Are you going to be back? Each one of you guys going to be back? I’m going to be back. So will everybody else be back that’s in there? Everybody that’s eligible and has got a contract.”

Asked for clarification on how firm he was about Garrett being the coach next year, Jones said, “I was firm for one night at that time and that doesn’t call for me having to be firm every morning I get up. So I was real firm then, so take that to the bank. Just take that to the bank. I’m not going to sit here and every time I see you guys, ask whether I’m firm or not. We can all play that game.”

Jones, told he is getting a chance to “slam the door” on speculation about Garrett’s future, said, “Don’t. Don’t. I don’t need a chance. I slammed that door back here -- when was it? Four weeks ago? That door was slammed. I don’t need another chance. And y’all shouldn’t ask for one every time you see me under any circumstances, whether we’ve had a bad practice or whether we’ve had, as we had today, a real disappointment. That’s not an accurate, that’s not accurate at all, and we’ve got a lot of work to do here as you can see. We’ve got a real challenge ahead of us. This is a bitter, bitter disappointment to lose this game right here in our stadium, and we’ve got an opportunity to sweep the East by playing the Redskins and by playing the Philadelphia Eagles – we’ll start with the Redskins – and we do we’ll win the East. That was our first goal. Then y’all will be seeing me and asking me if I’m giving him a raise, an extension.”